1.Effects of berberine-evodiamine compatibility on expressions of intestinal ACAT2, ApoB48 and NPC1L1 in hypercholesterolemic rat
Xin ZHOU ; Hong WEI ; Tao SHEN ; ping Jiang WEI ; yue Jia REN ; fan Heng NI
Chinese Traditional Patent Medicine 2017;39(10):1993-1999
AIM To investigate the effects of berberine-evodiamine compatibility on expressions of intestinal acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase 2 (ACAT2),apolipoprotein B48 (ApoB48),and Niemann-Pick C1 Like 1 (NPC1L1) proteins in hypercholesterolemic rats.METHODS Fifty SD rats were assigned to control and model groups.After establishing the hypercholesterolemic rat model by feeding high fat and high cholesterol food,forty SD rats were equally divided into model control group,atorvastatin group,berberine-evodiamine compatibility groups (89.2 mg/kg,178.4 mg/kg).After four weeks treatment,serum triglycerides (TG),total cholesterol (TC),low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C),high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were detected.Then the contents of cholesterol and β-sitoesterol in serum were determined by GC.The expressions of ACAT2,ApoB48 and NPC1 L1 proteins in the small intestine were assayed with immunohistochemistry technology.RESULTS Serum TC,TG and liver TC were significantly decreased in 89.2 mg/kg and 178.4 mg/kg berberineevodiamine compatibility groups compared with those in the model control group (P < 0.01).Serum LDL-C and liver TC were also significantly decreased in 89.2 mg/kg berberine-evodiamine compatibility group (P < 0.05).GC analysis indicated that the amount of cholesterol level and β-sitoesterol in serum were decreased in 178.4 mg/kg berberine-evodiamine compatibility group (P < 0.05) and 89.2 mg/kg berberine-evodiamine compatibility group (P < 0.01).Immunohistochemistry analysis manifested that the average luminous density of ACAT2,ApoB48 and NPC1L1 proteins in two dosages of berberine-evodiamine compatibility group were descended markedly compared with those in the model control group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01).CONCLUSION The mechanisms underlying the cholesterol metabolism activity of berberine-evodiamine compatibility are mediated most likely by down-regulating the expressions of intestinal ACAT2,ApoB48 and NPC1 L1 proteins in hypercholesterolemic rats.
2.Clinical treatment outcomes and their changes in extremely preterm twins: a multicenter retrospective study in Guangdong Province, China.
Bi-Jun SHI ; Ying LI ; Fan WU ; Zhou-Shan FENG ; Qi-Liang CUI ; Chuan-Zhong YANG ; Xiao-Tong YE ; Yi-Heng DAI ; Wei-Yi LIANG ; Xiu-Zhen YE ; Jing MO ; Lu DING ; Ben-Qing WU ; Hong-Xiang CHEN ; Chi-Wang LI ; Zhe ZHANG ; Xiao RONG ; Wei SHEN ; Wei-Min HUANG ; Bing-Yan YANG ; Jun-Feng LYU ; Hui-Wen HUANG ; Le-Ying HUO ; Hong-Ping RAO ; Wen-Kang YAN ; Xue-Jun REN ; Yong YANG ; Fang-Fang WANG ; Dong LIU ; Shi-Guang DIAO ; Xiao-Yan LIU ; Qiong MENG ; Yu WANG ; Bin WANG ; Li-Juan ZHANG ; Yu-Ge HUANG ; Dang AO ; Wei-Zhong LI ; Jie-Ling CHEN ; Yan-Ling CHEN ; Wei LI ; Zhi-Feng CHEN ; Yue-Qin DING ; Xiao-Yu LI ; Yue-Fang HUANG ; Ni-Yang LIN ; Yang-Fan CAI ; Sha-Sha HAN ; Ya JIN ; Guo-Sheng LIU ; Zhong-He WAN ; Yi BAN ; Bo BAI ; Guang-Hong LI ; Yue-Xiu YAN
Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics 2022;24(1):33-40
OBJECTIVES:
To investigate the clinical treatment outcomes and the changes of the outcomes over time in extremely preterm twins in Guangdong Province, China.
METHODS:
A retrospective analysis was performed for 269 pairs of extremely preterm twins with a gestational age of <28 weeks who were admitted to the department of neonatology in 26 grade A tertiary hospitals in Guangdong Province from January 2008 to December 2017. According to the admission time, they were divided into two groups: 2008-2012 and 2013-2017. Besides, each pair of twins was divided into the heavier infant and the lighter infant subgroups according to birth weight. The perinatal data of mothers and hospitalization data of neonates were collected. The survival rate of twins and the incidence rate of complications were compared between the 2008-2012 and 2013-2017 groups.
RESULTS:
Compared with the 2008-2012 group, the 2013-2017 group (both the heavier infant and lighter infant subgroups) had lower incidence rates of severe asphyxia and smaller head circumference at birth (P<0.05). The mortality rates of both of the twins, the heavier infant of the twins, and the lighter infant of the twins were lower in the 2013-2017 group compared with the 2008-2012 group (P<0.05). Compared with the 2008-2012 group, the 2013-2017 group (both the heavier infant and lighter infant subgroups) had lower incidence rates of pulmonary hemorrhage, patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), periventricular-intraventricular hemorrhage (P-IVH), and neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS) and a higher incidence rate of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (P<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
There is a significant increase in the survival rate over time in extremely preterm twins with a gestational age of <28 weeks in the 26 grade A tertiary hospitals in Guangdong Province. The incidences of severe asphyxia, pulmonary hemorrhage, PDA, P-IVH, and NRDS decrease in both the heavier and lighter infants of the twins, but the incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia increases. With the improvement of diagnosis and treatment, the multidisciplinary collaboration between different fields of fetal medicine including prenatal diagnosis, obstetrics, and neonatology is needed in the future to jointly develop management strategies for twin pregnancy.
Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia/epidemiology*
;
Female
;
Gestational Age
;
Humans
;
Infant
;
Infant, Extremely Premature
;
Infant, Newborn
;
Pregnancy
;
Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn/epidemiology*
;
Retrospective Studies
;
Treatment Outcome
3.A Case Series of Olfactory Dysfunction in Imported COVID-19 Patients: A 12-Month Follow-Up Study.
Ni WANG ; Ming Bo YANG ; Pu Ye YANG ; Ren Bo CHEN ; Fei HUANG ; Nan Nan SHI ; Yan MA ; Yan ZHANG ; You XU ; Si Hong LIU ; Heng Yi LU ; Qing Qing FU ; Yi Pin FAN ; Hong Min KAN ; Xiao Hong WANG ; Ya Ling GUO
Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2022;35(5):402-411
Objective:
The scientific community knows little about the long-term influence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on olfactory dysfunction (OD). With the COVID-19 pandemic ongoing worldwide, the risk of imported cases remains high. In China, it is necessary to understand OD in imported cases.
Methods:
A prospective follow-up design was adopted. A total of 11 self-reported patients with COVID-19 and OD from Xi'an No. 8 Hospital were followed between August 19, 2021, and December 12, 2021. Demographics, clinical characteristics, laboratory and radiological findings, and treatment outcomes were analyzed at admission. We surveyed the patients via telephone for recurrence and sequelae at the 1-, 6-, and 12-month follow-up.
Results:
Eleven patients with OD were enrolled; of these, 54.5% (6/11) had hyposmia and 45.5% (5/11) had anosmia. 63.6% (7/11) reported OD before or on the day of admission as their initial symptom; of these, 42.9% (3/7) described OD as the only symptom. All patients in the study received combined treatment with traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine, and 72.7% (8/11) had partially or fully recovered at discharge. In terms of OD recovery at the 12-month follow-up, 45.5% (5/11) reported at least one sequela, 81.8% (9/11) had recovered completely, 18.2% (2/11) had recovered partially, and there were no recurrent cases.
Conclusions
Our data revealed that OD frequently presented as the initial or even the only symptom among imported cases. Most OD improvements occurred in the first 2 weeks after onset, and patients with COVID-19 and OD had favorable treatment outcomes during long-term follow-up. A better understanding of the pathogenesis and appropriate treatment of OD is needed to guide clinicians in the care of these patients.
COVID-19/complications*
;
Follow-Up Studies
;
Humans
;
Olfaction Disorders/etiology*
;
Pandemics
;
Prospective Studies
;
SARS-CoV-2
4.Dosimetric effect of CT truncated regionson radiotherapy for thoracic esophageal cancer
Kai XIE ; Heng ZHANG ; Qianyi XI ; Fan ZHANG ; Sai ZHANG ; Liugang GAO ; Jiawei SUN ; Tao LIN ; Jianfeng SUI ; Xinye NI
Chinese Journal of Radiological Health 2022;31(6):724-730
Objective To investigate the dosimetric effect of truncated regions in computed tomography (CT) images on the targets and organs at risk in volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) for middle thoracic esophageal cancer. Methods CT images of 15 patients with middle thoracic esophageal cancer were selected. Circle masks were used to make the volume of the truncated region account for 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40% of the arm volume, and the corresponding truncated CT images were obtained. The real CT was denoted as CT0. Two radiotherapy plans were made on CT0. One plan was VMAT_1F with full arcs, and the other one was VMAT_3F with arm avoidance. The plans were transplanted to four truncated CT, respectively, and the dosimetric differences between different plans were compared using Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results Compared with VMAT_1F in CT0, Dmean and V5 of the lung decreased in VMAT_3F, but Dmax of the spinal cord, Dmean of the heart, and V20 of the lung increased. In VMAT_3F, there was no statistically significant difference between the dosimetric parameters in the four truncated CT and those in CT0 (all P > 0.05). In VMAT_1F, except for homogeneity index and Dmax of the spinal cord, the dosimetric parameters in four truncated CT were significantly different from those in CT0 (P < 0.05). The dosimetric difference increased with the increase in truncated region-to-volume ratio. Conclusion Complete CT data should be collected in clinical practice, and the radiation field avoiding the truncated regionshould be set if necessary to reduce the influence of the truncated region on dosimetry.
5.Myocardial biopsy of Liwen procedure: representability and etiological diagnostic value of cardiac samples obtained by a novel technique in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
Chao HAN ; Meng Yao ZHOU ; Jian Feng WU ; Bo WANG ; Heng MA ; Rui HU ; Lei ZUO ; Jing LI ; Xiao Juan LI ; Sheng Jun TA ; Lin Ni FAN ; Li Wen LIU
Chinese Journal of Cardiology 2022;50(4):361-368
Objective: To investigate the representability and etiological diagnostic value of myocardium samples obtained from patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) by transthoracic echocardiography-guided percutaneous intramyocardial septal biopsy (myocardial biopsy of Liwen procedure). Methods: This study was a retrospective case-series analysis. Patients with HCM, who underwent myocardial biopsy of Liwen procedure and radiofrequency ablation in Xijing Hospital, Air Force Military Medical University from July to December 2019, were included. Demographic data (age, sex), echocardiographic data and complications were collected through electronic medical record system. The histological and echocardiographic features, pathological characteristics of the biopsied myocardium of the patients were analyzed. Results: A total of 21 patients (aged (51.2±14.5) years and 13 males (61.9%)) were enrolled. The thickness of ventricular septum was (23.3±4.5)mm and the left ventricular outflow tract gradient was (78.8±42.6)mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa). Eight patients (38.1%) were complicated with hypertension, 1 patient (4.8%) had diabetes, and 2 patients (9.5%) had atrial fibrillation. Hematoxylin-eosin staining of myocardial samples of HCM patients before radiofrequency ablation evidenced myocytes hypertrophy, myocytes disarray, nuclear hyperchromatism, hypertrophy, atypia, coronary microvessel abnormalities, adipocyte infiltration, inflammatory cell infiltration, cytoplasmic vacuoles, lipofuscin deposition. Interstitial fibrosis and replacement fibrosis were detected in Masson stained biopsy samples. Hematoxylin-eosin staining of myocardial samples of HCM patients after radiofrequency ablation showed significantly reduced myocytes, cracked nuclear in myocytes, coagulative necrosis, border disappearance and nuclear fragmentation. Quantitative analysis of myocardial specimens of HCM patients before radiofrequency ablation showed that there were 9 cases (42.9%) with mild myocardial hypertrophy and 12 cases (57.1%) with severe myocardial hypertrophy. Mild, moderate and severe fibrosis were 5 (23.8%), 9 (42.9%) and 7 (33.3%), respectively. Six cases (28.6%) had myocytes disarray. There were 11 cases (52.4%) of coronary microvessel abnormalities, 4 cases (19.0%) of adipocyte infiltration, 2 cases (9.5%) of inflammatory cell infiltration,6 cases (28.5%) of cytoplasmic vacuole, 16 cases (76.2%) of lipofuscin deposition. The diameter of cardiac myocytes was (25.2±2.8)μm, and the percentage of collagen fiber area was 5.2%(3.0%, 14.6%). One patient had severe replacement fibrosis in the myocardium, with a fibrotic area of 67.0%. The rest of the patients had interstitial fibrosis. The myocardial specimens of 13 patients were examined by transmission electron microscopy. All showed increased myofibrils, and 9 cases had disorder of myofibrils. All patients had irregular shape of myocardial nucleus, partial depression, mild mitochondrial swelling, fracture and reduction of mitochondrial crest, and local aggregation of myofibrillary interfascicles. One patient had hypertrophy of cardiomyocytes, but the arrangement of muscle fibers was roughly normal. There were vacuoles in the cytoplasm, and Periodic acid-Schiff staining was positive. Transmission electron microscopy showed large range of glycogen deposition in the cytoplasm, with occasional double membrane surround, which was highly indicative of glycogen storage disease. No deposition of glycolipid substance in lysozyme was observed under transmission electron microscope in all myocardial specimens, which could basically eliminate Fabry disease. No apple green substance was found under polarized light after Congo red staining, which could basically exclude cardiac amyloidosis. Conclusion: Myocardium biopsied samples obtained by Liwen procedure of HCM patients are representative and helpful for the etiological diagnosis of HCM.
Biopsy/adverse effects*
;
Cardiomegaly/pathology*
;
Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic/diagnosis*
;
Eosine Yellowish-(YS)
;
Fibrosis
;
Heart Defects, Congenital
;
Hematoxylin
;
Humans
;
Lipofuscin
;
Male
;
Myocardium/pathology*
;
Retrospective Studies